LAX expects union march to exacerbate traffic on Thanksgiving eve

Temporary street closures for a labor action planned at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday threaten to tie up traffic during one of the busiest travel days of the year.

The airport on Monday warned travelers going to LAX on Wednesday to add 90 minutes to their planned arrival time at the airport -- in additional to the usual two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.

The airport expects an increase in traffic congestion because of a planned protest march by Service Employees International Union Local 1877, according to a statement. The union has a dispute over health benefits with a contractor that employs security personnel, skycaps and wheelchair assistants at LAX.

Those driving or shuttling to or from the airport between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. should expect phased-in closures of westbound lanes of Century Boulevard between Airport and Sepulveda boulevards, and northbound lanes on Sepulveda Boulevard between Imperial Highway and 98th Street. The airport plans to keep all entrances open, though the California Highway Patrol may need to shut the Sepulveda Boulevard exit of the 105 Freeway during the demonstration, the statement said.

Some media reports said thousands of airport workers were walking off the job, but an SEIU spokesman told the L.A. Weekly that "it's not a strike or a walkout." The SEIU on its website says it plans to have 1,000 or more workers, members of other unions and members of the community take part in the action.